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Brown Gaddy, Freelance Mate, Nags Head, North Carolina
Ever since I started fishing, Hot Pockets have always been one of my favorite snacks on the water. They are super easy to make, can be stored in the freezer right next to your bait, and of course are very tasty! Compared with some other options, Hot Pockets don’t take very long at all to make—just under three minutes. This makes cooking them super efficient and keeps you from missing anything going on in the spread. They also don’t require a plate, a bowl or even silverware, just a paper towel or two—not to mention that everything tastes better on a boat!
Brad Nezat, Miss Remy, New Orleans, Louisiana
I do all the cooking for a few large Gulf Coast tournaments as well as the meals for the Miss Remy. I can pretty much cook whatever the crew wants to eat, but I like to have everything prepared before we go. Fishing in the Gulf, we’re up 20 hours a day, so we want to be able to heat something up, eat it on paper plates and move on. I usually make quiches with sausage or ham for breakfast and casseroles, such as a recent enchilada casserole I fixed like a lasagna, for dinner. They’re easy meals to cook ahead of time, heat up and then serve while we’re catching bait or fishing. We don’t have to cook anything on the boat or dig out the grill. We eat good but still get to focus on what we’re on the water to do.
Capt. Tyler Neal, At Last, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Although I like to stay on the lighter side the night before a fish day, I believe a good meal offshore is essential. It boosts morale and breaks up the monotony on a slow day. On At Last, we typically load up on sandwiches from the local deli wherever we happen to be, but there’s something special about cooking a team meal offshore. Anyone who’s ever fished with Miss Lainey aboard Mama Who can tell you all about a five-star gourmet lunch on the high seas. However, as far as snacks go, there’s always a place on my helm for Capt. Ed Keelin’s famous boiled peanuts come tournament time at home in South Carolina.
